Rekeying a conventional lock cylinder is a task best left to a professional locksmith because it involves removing the lock cylinder from the lock installation and then disassembling it. The original pins are then replaced by different pins to accommodate the cut of the new key, and the lock is reassembled. This requires a working knowledge of the lockset and cylinder mechanism and requires access to replacement pins.
These considerations can intimidate an ordinary consumer, prompting the hire a professional locksmith or to buy a new lockset. Either way, the consumer must spend money. In addition, professionals using appropriate tools can easily pick traditional cylinders.
The present invention overcomes these and other disadvantages of conventional lock cylinders. The lock cylinder of the present invention operates in a transparent way that presents the familiar experience of inserting a key and rotating the key in the lock cylinder, as with current cylinders. However, in the present invention, that same familiar experience is used to rekey the lock cylinder. Thus, the user does not require any special knowledge, training, or tools to rekey the lock cylinder of the present invention.